Hi there!

*This story has been edited.*

This is my first story in English, it is based on a story I did before because it makes it easier for me to work on a previous "draft". I use the translator and what little I know of English, so it can seem very formal or with grammatical errors.

It is an alternate universe, with a lot of OoC and some OC. This story is classification M and contains death of characters, betrayals, infidelities, murder and several other things; discretion is advised.

General story disclaimer.

Neither Bleach nor its characters belong to me, they are the property of Tite Kubo and I do not use them for financial purposes. Just to satisfy my imagination.

A short summary of the chapters for you:

C. 1 – 11: The king chose his bastard son as heir to the throne, and Ichigo is forced to marry Lord Kuchiki's daughter. Ichigo and Rukia don't know each other, neither of them wants to get married; Ichigo wants his throne and Rukia wants to be free. Kia and Kon are attracted to each other; it was something that came up with a glance and is impossible to control. Why does the queen punish Rukia for something Kia did?

C. 12 – 18: The princes return after having recovered the city of Verasi from the Kuvarite army. Rukia meets Ichigo at the Dance of Souls and discovers that it was all a lie; Ichigo, having to do what he should do, decides to have Rukia's best friend as Inamorata. Everything would be easier if the two of them talked and fixed the misunderstandings.

C. 19 – 28: Rukia returns to Adelaar. The engagement between Lord Kuchiki's daughter and the Second Prince becomes official; Rukia has to quickly learn what it means to be Ichigo's wife. The heir to the throne marries.

C. 29 – 37: The coup that Lord Kuchiki has been planning could end in a massacre and Ichigo knows it. Rukia asks Ichigo to lie to save her father and Ichigo agrees. The tension in the castle before Ichigo and Rukia's wedding is palpable for both of them. They know that they are going to get married and with their wedding the real fight for the throne begins.

The Nightingale

Chapter 1: Destiny

Spring. Year x491: Rukia, 15 years old.

The orchard stretched across the land intended for planting, the first squash blossoms were opening and that was a sign that joroch's soup would soon be eaten. Rukia looked at the planting, proud of herself and completely satisfied that she had, as her mother said, a good hand for plants.

Yuki came running to where she was, she was somewhat agitated and very excited, and she began to speak so fast that Rukia had to stop pulling the weeds growing between the mint plants.

— You're talking really fast, Yuki. — Rukia complained getting up from the ground and brushing the dirt off her dress. She put both hands on Yuki's shoulders to calm her down a bit. — Calm down, breathe and speak slowly, okay?

Yuki nodded to what she said and closed her eyes for a moment, when she opened them, smiled as if she had been given the best news in the world. Rukia didn't understand that expression, it was even somewhat disturbing. She released Yuki.

— Prince Ichigo returned to the kingdom. — She blurted out that news and her cheeks turned slightly flushed. Rukia looked at her and put a hand on Yuki's forehead, checking that she didn't have a fever. Yuki backed away slightly annoyed. — The prince, Rukia. The Prince!

— And that has to mean anything to me? — She asked without give importance. She turned her back on Yuki and back to her plants. Every time she touched the mint leaves, her skin filled with that fresh scent.

— Yes, it should mean "something" to you. — Rukia's indifference exasperated her. — Your father is on the king's council. One day a letter might arrive asking you to go to the castle, then you might meet the prince, and when you least realize it, you will marry him and become the queen.

— The Queen? Really? — She asked laughing, sitting on the dirt floor, watching Yuki from below place her arms on her hips in a gesture of annoyance. — You dream too high, and it's not even you.

— You will see, you will become the queen. There is a very long tradition of marriages between the royal family and the children of the lord of Maranni. — Yuki was convinced of her words and was annoyed by how little interest Rukia showed at that.

— Yuki, that's not going to happen. — Rukia got up from the ground, her hands were dirty but the smell of mint stuck to her skin. — First I would have to serve in the palace for a couple of years, win the approval of the queen, and get Prince Ichigo to agree to that marriage. There are many things that prevent the requirements from being met, to begin with, Prince Ichigo is that, a prince and you know what I think of that.

— "They do not know how to clean their faces without help." — Yuki said and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

— Exact. If I became a princess I would only be looking pretty in the palace, I couldn't do anything, just be there, like a doll. — Yuki just looked at her with an angry expression for what she said. — And there is a flaw in your prediction, I would not become queen. All the daughters of the lord of Maranni marry the second sons, not with the heirs to the throne, Prince Ichigo is the heir to the throne. So leave that matter alone and let's go to the kitchen, my mother must need help making food.

Rukia ended that conversation and pushed Yuki in the direction of the Great House. She knew that marrying one of the princes of the kingdom, in that peculiar case, was something almost traditional, it was part of the agreement that had been made when Avanta had conquered Maranni; it was a way of acknowledging that the blood of the kings of yore still ran through the blood of her family. That was also why her father serve on the king's council.

Spring. Year x491: Ichigo, 16 years old.

Ichigo had not thought that his return to the kingdom would be taken as a great event, nor did he know that his return would be a cause for joy for the inhabitants of the city but, the moment the soldiers opened the doors to let him pass, the people he stepped aside throwing flowers at him, as if he had come back from war. All the way from the entrance to the city to the Great Gate of the castle grounds, he felt as if he were a stranger.

The last six years of his life he had lived with his mother's family, in the neighboring kingdom of Vayalat, and to return like this, having refused to return after finishing his studies, seemed out of place. He stopped his horse, in front of the double doors of the castle, and a couple of guards helped him dismount; behind him came the car where he and his luggage were supposed to travel.

— My son! — A woman's voice made him turn towards the castle entrance. A smile spread across his face as he saw his mother come briskly to meet him. — The Deities have brought you safely! — She exclaimed kissing him cheeks effusively.

— The Deities? I thought my horse had brought me. — He said with a smile on his face when he saw his mother's face about to reprimand him for having said that blasphemy.

— Welcome, little brother. — Kaien had come up behind her mother, with that carefree step and that smile fake. He remembered that gesture well, the way that wrinkle formed on his cheek, which made him look more attractive than he was, and which gave him that kind expression that, Ichigo was sure, he had taken advantage of a lot.

— Older brother. — Ichigo extended his hand to greet his brother. Kaien took Ichigo's hand tightly and forced a hug. He knew that it was all a farce and decided to follow him.

— Don't open your bags, Ichigo. You will return to Vayalat sooner than you think. — Kaien whispered in his ear before releasing it with the same fake smile.

— Come on, your father is waiting to see you. — Masaki said extending a hand for him to take.

Ichigo gave his mother a kiss on the back of her hand and offered her his arm for her to hang onto him. The queen smiled, claiming that his uncle had instructed him well, in matters of court manners and etiquette, and calmly guided him to the Dome where his father are waiting for him. Kaien was behind them with his arms behind his back and that smile that he had already begun to hate. Every step he took inside the castle made him feel more and more alien to it.

The soldiers guarding the door of the Dome stopped them and Ichigo kissed his mother's blessed hands before saying goodbye to her. The queen made him promise that they would dine together that night and that he would tell her all that he had experienced during his training in the kingdom of her family.

— Your Majesty. — He bowed to his father as the doors to the Dome opened and the king appeared seated in his place at that long table. Kaien passed him and took a seat to the king's right.

— Ichigo. — The king's voice sounded serious, matching the expression on his face. — You have been slow to return. — The king added with an annoyed tone that Ichigo was already expecting.

— My apologies, Your Majesty, but my education took longer than expected. — He spoke cautiously before undoing his bow. He knew he had to be careful with his father, the man had always shown a clear preference for Kaien and seeing him sitting to the right of the king only confirmed that his brother had managed to consolidate his position as the firstborn.

— Longer than expected. — The king repeated without taking his eyes off him. Ichigo knew that this welcome would not be as pleasant as the one his mother had given him. — Take a seat, now that you are here I can make the official appointments.

Ichigo obeyed and sat next to his father in the chair that one of the counselors had given him, he didn't even have a place at that table; that didn't surprise him either. A soldier approached with a wooden box and deposited it in front of the king in a ceremonious manner. Official appointments, he had said. Ichigo tried to keep his face from reflecting his emotions beyond the seriousness that the moment required.

— From this moment on I make the principalities of the kingdom official. — All the councilors rose from their seats solemnly with their eyes on the contents of the box that the king had opened. — I appoint my son, Ichigo, as the Prince of the Kingdom and the next Commander-in-Chief of Avanta, a position that he will assume when his military training concludes and shows me that he is worthy of being the Commander.

There was a great murmur among the council men who were not expecting such a thing. Ichigo knew that this decision had not been consulted with them, much less approved by them.

— I accept that great honor, Your Majesty. — He said bowing to his father. He held out his hand and his father handed him a large golden ring with a blue stone; the ring of princes, that of second sons. Ichigo put the ring on his right hand and bowed with his hand extended over his heart, the blue stone reflecting the light from the room for a moment. The councilors' murmurs fell silent.

— To my son Kaien, my first-born, I present "The Crowned Eagle" that distinguishes him as the Crown Prince and our future king when the Deities call me to their glory. — The king said that with a smile on his lips, the smile he hadn't given Ichigo when he walked through that door. The councilors murmured again, this time a little louder, but the king ignored them.

Kaien smiled and extended his hand for his father to give him the silver insignia but the king refused to give it to him, everyone was surprised by that until they saw how the king personally placed the heir insignia on the chest of his first-born.

— I accept this great honor, Your Majesty, I promise that I will live up to everything that comes my way. — Kaien said with a smile bowing with hand on heart protecting the silver badge. The king smiled and Ichigo was sure that his father was holding back from hugging Kaien just because all the councilors were there.

— Prince Kaien has successfully completed his military education, but he will not stop practicing with the soldiers, maybe he will teach Prince Ichigo some things while he learns. I will not deny that I am saddened that he is so far behind in his military education but I trust that he will receive the necessary support to try to keep up with Kaien.

Ichigo said nothing, that was perhaps the hardest test so far, and he couldn't afford to fail it. The councilors nodded to what the king said and he did the same before hearing Kaien offer his help in his military training.

— You will agree, Your Majesty, that Prince Ichigo cannot have preferences in his training and that the best way he can learn is with the new recruits who are training. — He suggested with that false concern that Ichigo was beginning to recognize in him. Ichigo had spent a lot of time with Yoruichi and learned to distinguish the fake from the real.

— Prince Kaien is right, Prince Ichigo must learn from the new recruits, just like him in his time. The new recruits are more advanced, but I'm sure Prince Ichigo will be able to catch up with them quickly. — None of the councilors objected to that and Ichigo just nodded at what his father said.

The meeting ended a few moments later, several councilors congratulated Kaien on his appointment, as protocol dictated and not because they actually agreed with the king's decision. Ichigo looked at his father and said goodbye to him, as well as his brother, before leaving the Dome and leaving them alone. If his father had wanted to talk to him, he would have stopped him but he didn't.

He was surprised to learn that his room had been moved, before it was in the queen's room area but at that time it was near the king's rooms, he supposed it was because he was officially a prince and must be close to his father, just like Kaien was. His things were already in his new room, he did not hesitate to go to the king's private baths and freshen up a bit before going on his date with his mother.

The hot water relaxed him and made him think about everything that might have happened in his absence; he was thinking of the way Kaien sat next to his father, his favorite son, the living copy of his father with his black hair, the same green eyes and that line on his cheek that accentuated his natural attractiveness.

He got out of the water at the right time to get ready and go to dinner with his mother who already had everything ready in their private rooms. The queen smiled when she saw him and kissed her cheeks, just as she had done when she received him, and he kissed her blessed hands before accompanying her to the table that she was prepared for them to have dinner.

Ichigo avoided telling his mother what had happened in the Dome upon his arrival and devoted himself to telling her what he had done while living in Vayalat. His mother smiled with pleasure at everything he said and she herself recounted her own experiences when she lived there. The way princesses were educated in Vayalat was completely different from the way his sisters had been educated in Avanta. His mother told him that she had tried many times to make the king let the twinsgirls go to Vayalat but she had not succeeded.

— Maybe I can teach them something, you know, without the king's knowledge. — He assured with that natural complicity he had with his mother. The queen nodded with a smile.

— It would not hurt, in a few years your sisters will be old enough to marry and your father will not hesitate to get them engaged in marriage to people he considers important to the kingdom. — His mother seemed annoyed saying that.

They both fell silent after that and enjoyed dinner, her mother had prepared his favorite food and she was indulging him, all under the excuse of all the years that he had been away. Ichigo felt it was too much but he couldn't resist, he had missed her mother too and, after all that his uncle had told him about her, he admired her more.

— The king told me that he would do the princes' assignments today. — His mother said that with a hint of a smile and Ichigo noticed how his mother's eyes were directed to his chest, she was looking for "the crowned eagle" that distinguished him as the crown prince.

— The king made me prince of the kingdom. Kaien is the heir. — He said that, showing the ring on his hand that he had tried not to show his mother before.

— What! — The queen's cry of surprise came a few seconds after he said that news. His mother got up quickly from her seat with abruptness and a glass fell, spilling the contents of her. — How can he did that? Your father will hear me!

His mother was willing to go in search of the king to claim him that infamy but Ichigo stopped her by taking her arm. Masaki was looking at him with gasps from how furious she was but Ichigo shook his head.

— It doesn't matter, mother, really. — He said that in a tone that was intended to calm her mother's fury, but it didn't work.

— Doesn't it matter?! Ichigo, you are the heir, you are the king's son, and you are my son. — Apparently the rule of inheritance was of no importance to the king. Ichigo got up from his seat and made his mother sit next to him in a large armchair.

— Kaien is the king's son too. — He whispered taking his mother's hands. He didn't feel like fighting for a throne and he didn't want his mother to fight for him. — He introduced him as his firstborn.

— Kaien is a bastard. It was not enough for your father to make me tolerate his romance with the foreign woman, nor for him to make me raise her child as if he were mine, he had to give him the kingdom too. Your father will listen to me. — She said getting up from the seat where Ichigo had sat her.

— No, mother, it has no case. You didn't see the expression in his eyes when he named him Crown Prince, you didn't see the way he put "the crowned eagle" on the Kaien's chest. No, mother, that's a losing battle. — Ichigo was clear about things from the day his father preferred to hit him before questioning Kaien's innocence.

— I will pray to the Deities that he dies while eating. — His mother spoke in annoyance and Ichigo giggled a bit at that making her laugh a bit too.

— The Deities, mother? Do they ever listen? — He asked with a smile before his mother reprimanded him for that blasphemy.

Thank you for reading.